MURDER OF MR. BAUER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2138, 22 July 1907, Page 1

MURDER OF MR. BAUER.

J.NTJCJ! ISST IN G I >JS VJOI.O!’ M KNTS Careful investigation lian.ele:u;ed uj V(,mc of till) mystery summndiuf; til' murder of Bernard Bauer, diamond merchant. ill Ida iillico in Coll ius-strcet Melbourne (writes the Sydney Morning Herald’s correspondent:). Ado Unite theory has hen formed of the murderer’s movements on the fitli and 7th .June so far as they related to tie mime committed on 7th June have boon traced. A series of deduction: from the evidence thus collected seem to show that the murderer eating from Sydney for the purpose of commit till" the murder, and returned there with the plunder immediately after.

Mil. CUTLER’S VISITOR, ft was on 6th June that the nun; u ho is now wanted by the police firsi appeared on the scene. Farlv in tin: afternoon ol that (lay a man walked into the shop of Messrs. Henry G Bobardt and Co., importers ol watch materials and jewellers’ requisites. Bit tie Co! I ins-street-, and greeted on; ol the proprietors,*?.'!'. C. F. Cutler, is though he was an old friend, Tin itranger said to him, “I suppose yor lou’t remember me? I’ve been away in Sydney for a fe-.v years.” Mr. Cutler did not like to admit that

lie did not remember one who bad per baps been a good customer to the firm, so lie invited the stranger to come into liis office. The scti-angei gave him a name which Dir. Cutlei did not remember to have heard tie fore, and lie repeated. “I have been working in Sydney for the last tom or five years,” and then added, “1 am going to set up business ill Ararat.” The visitor afterwards said. “! want to buy some diamonds about one carat' and under.” "We don’t keep diamonds in stock,” replied Mr. Cutler; “you’ll have to go to some o! the- dealers in stones.” “Wlih'are Hie best people for stones now?” asked the visitor. Then Mr. Cutler mentioned Mr. Bauer as a good map. Only a few weeks before lie had him self bought a small parcel of stones from Mr. Bauer. CONFLICTING STATEMENTS. “Where is Mr Bauer’s office now?” asked the visitor; “lie is not in the old place.” Mr. Cutler gave the, man the address, and tho visitor left, remarking that he would call and see Mr. Bauer. This interview with Mr. Cutler appears to have little in it to prove time his visitor was a man carrying out part of a dcepl.v-luid scheme to murder Sir. Bauer, but consideration of it shows that this was the case. In the first place, the man

lied when he said that lie had called on two other diamond merchants. Then he has never appeared in Ararat, but the most damning fact of all is found in the name he gave. j The liame was not his own, but it was the name of a jeweller in Sydney ■ who had just opened a shop there. The fact that he lied about the other diamond merchant's shows that his alleg-

I desire to purchase one-carat din-, lends was merely a blind, but a lint! for what? ft Was certain that

liis object was not merely to obtain Mr. Bauer’s address though if was true that Mr. Bauer had changed his olfiee. The man hud some deeper design ; lie wanted to be able to use Hie firm of Messrs. Bobardt am! Co. to obtain the confidence of the man he Juid. determined to murder. That lie did approach Mr. Bauer in this fashion subsequent event's have proved.

“WHY NOT ASK EOli CASH?” Oil Thursday afternoon Mr. Cutler’s visitor called on tile diamond merchant and presented as his credentials- the firm's recommendation, but :;t small

nl’oreseen circumstances blocked the lurdercr. He was asking for stones I one carat and under. Mr. Bauer

had no carat stones, and so could do no business. Mr. Bauer said he would be aide to procure carat stones next day, and made an appointment with his customer For a quarter to five on Friday afternoon, There is abundant evidence that Mr. Bauer made

this appointment. He visited another diamond merchant next day anil obtained from him a number of one-

carat diamonds on approval. Me told this merchant, that lie had a customer for the stones, who was to meet, him at a quarter to five o’clock. Then ho clinched the evidence connecting Mr. Cutler’s visitor with liis customer by calling on Mr. Cutler about 3 o’clock on Friday afternoon. Dc

ceased said to Mr. Cutler, “1 suppose the cheque of flint man you sent round to me yesterday will be alright.” Mr. Cutler jocularly remarked, “Is be buying such a lot that you are afraid’to ask for cash?” "No” replied Air. Bauer; “he only wants a small parcel.” “Then why not lask for cash?" said Air, Cutler. Mr. Bauer nodded his head shrewdly. “Oh, it’s that way, is it f” and walked off, and at haip-past three o’clock went up in the lift- to his office. The visitor kept his appointment, murdered Bauer, and secured the diamonds. SUSPECT’S APPEARANCE. A one-carat stone iyas found on the scale. In leaving that link lie left one ol' the chief links as the evi-

dence against him. it had been identified by the diamond merchant from whom Mr. Baur obtained it as one of the four pjie-eai'iit stones he gave to him on approval to sell to his ’civsomor, who was to meet him at a quarter to five. Everything points to the crime haying been “put up" ip Sydney. The suspect’s use of a Sydney mail’s name, his own statement.that lie came from Sydney, and the absolute disappearance of the man and the iliamopds ait pitlpt to tills. Air. Cutler is certain 'of his ability to

identify Ins visitor again. He is about 45 years of ago, with a light brown moustache' and greyish green eyes. He is oft lOin high, with a slight stopp, itpd strongly though not stoutly built. !t (pay be urged that the man did not come from Sydney, that lie was talking in this fashion merely ly as a blind ; but the man had no reason to think that Mr. Cutler would evor connect him with the Bauer

murderer." 'lie pbtuinejl Ids information about Air. Bauer in the most casual way. In fact, Mr. Cutler would have forgotten all about his visitor had it not been for Mr Bauer himself calling on the day of the murder and referring to him. It was the murderer inquiring lor one-carat slopes (hat has led to the 'creation of an important chain of eirenmstant'ial evidence. Mail he asked tor Ids carat stones Air. Bauer would have

been able io supply them, would have taken out his wallet, iind.heep hided on the Thursday, (ith .June. Whin would have there have been then to connect Mr. Cutler's visitor with tin

murder? The enquiry for one-earat stones caused Air. Bauer to postpone the business—and (lie murder—-till next day. A DISCOVERY. If the detective of.the novelist’s imagination had entered the murdered man's office on the Friday lie would have found that in the excitement following upon the discovery of Air. Bauer the furniture in the room and even the articles on the table, had been disturbed beyond any possibility of restoring them to the position ill which they were left by the murderer. The novel which he had been reading had been pushed aside, and probably the two chairs had been moved about’. The one thought in every one's mind during the lull-hour which elapsed between the discovery and Air. Bauer’s removal to the hospital was as to his vyf’lfai'n, so that no care was taken to leave tilings as they were. The detectives on their arrival took charge of a few articles which, in their opinion, might have some hearing on the ease, but there was one thing which they did not remove, which on Sunday was still lying m the corner of the room where Mr. Bauer fell. That was a lady’s black glove. The idea of establishing any collection hetweeen this and the brutal bludgeoning of a man to death seems ludicrous on the surface, but ladies’ gloves are not usuallly fotind lying on the floor of business men’s offices, and sometimes the most wildly improbable theories are borne put by fact,

No one supposes flint, the little hlack glove encased the hand that struck down Mr. Bauer, but there is always room for flic possibility that the owner was a visitor to Mr. Bailor’s office, and played Delilah beginning his confidences and cominunic uting tho plan of attack to an accomplice.. Jewel mysteries and women have so often been associated in the history of crime that the idea is not at all impossible. It must be remembered that Mr. Bauer was a Initchclor. lie was reputed to be wealthy, although he only rented a small office and swept it out himself. No diamond merchant was ever supposed to lie poor, even -if lie did think It worth while to be liis own office boy. He bail an appointment at hall-past 3 o’clock oil Friday, which lie evidently did not care to discusss with liis friends, and there is no reason why liis visitor there should not have been a lady. There was ample time between half-past. 3 and o o’clock foi him to receive two or three visitors, and still be seen about town by those who stato that they met him. If the little black glove could speak it might tell a tale of treachery and robbery.